Disclosed herein is a conveyance seat including: a seat base on which an occupant sits; a support portion which supports the occupant from the back side; a flip-up mechanism which flips up the seat base; and a biasing member that biases the support portion so that the support portion is inclined forward, and particularly, a conveyance seat further including: an engagement portion which is engaged with the support portion to hold the support portion in a upright state against a biasing force of the biasing member and a cancel mechanism which cancels the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion by using the flip-up operation of the flip-up mechanism.
There is known a conveyance seat including a seat base on which an occupant sits and a support portion which supports the occupant from the back side, where the conveyance seat is stowable in a folded state. In the conveyance seat, a conveyance seat exists which includes a biasing member that biases a predetermined portion of a seat while folding the seat (for example, see Japanese Patent Document No. 2009-292266 A (“the '266 Document”)).
As an example of the biasing member, a biasing member is considered which biases the support portion so that the support portion is inclined forward. In a case where the conveyance seat with such a biasing member further includes, for example, a flip-up mechanism which flips up the seat base and an engagement portion which is engaged with the support portion to hold the support portion in an upright state against the biasing force of the biasing member, when the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled, the support portion is inclined forward by the biasing force of the biasing member.
Furthermore, a case is considered in which the canceling of the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is performed while being interlocked with the flip-up operation of the seat base using the flip-up mechanism. In other words, when the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled by using the flip-up operation, the biasing force generated by the biasing member is exerted on the support portion.
Further, the conveyance seat disclosed in the '266 Document includes a seat body which includes a seat cushion and a seatback, a biasing mechanism which biases the seat body toward a stowed position, a cancel mechanism which prevents the biasing force of the biasing mechanism from being applied to the seat body, and a relay mechanism which transmits a seat body folding operation to the cancel mechanism. The relay mechanism includes a moving link and a following link as components, and is configured to transmit the seat body folding operation to the cancel mechanism.
Further, as the conveyance seat, there is known a conveyance seat including a seat back frame, a headrest, a pillar supporting the headrest, and a headrest rotation mechanism rotatably supporting the pillar. The headrest rotation mechanism has a function of rotating the pillar forward so that the headrest is inclined forward. Furthermore, in the headrest rotation mechanism with such a function, a headrest rotation mechanism also exists which is operated by remote control other than a headrest rotation mechanism which is operated by a direct operation of an occupant (for example, see Japanese The '655 Document 010-105655 A (“the '655 Document”).
In the above-described stowable conveyance seat, after the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled, there is a need to maintain the engagement canceled state so that the support portion is smoothly inclined forward by the biasing force of the biasing member. For example, when the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled by mistake, it is desirable to return the erroneous state to the state where the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again. That is, from the viewpoint of the improvement of the operability of the conveyance seat, in a case where the conveyance seat is stowed, there is a need to return the current state to the state where the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again even when the support portion is being inclined forward after the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled so that the support portion is inclined forward.
A case is considered in which a conveyance seat including a seat base that is flipped up to a stowed position, a support portion that is inclinable forward, a first operation mechanism that serves as a flip-up mechanism for performing a first operation of flipping up the seat base, and a second operation mechanism that performs a second operation of inclining the support portion forward further includes a drive mechanism that is configured to cause the second operation mechanism to perform the second operation using the first operation of the first operation mechanism. The drive mechanism corresponds to the relay mechanism disclosed in the '266 Document, and the respective components of the drive mechanism are operated to move the first operation of the first operation mechanism in a manner of being interlocked with the second operation of the second operation mechanism.
In the conveyance seat with the above-described configuration, there is a need to attach the drive mechanism to the appropriate attachment position so that the respective components of the drive mechanism are stably operated in the interlocking movement between the first operation of the first operation mechanism and the second operation of the second operation mechanism.
Further, there is a need to ensure the installation space inside the seat for the above-described headrest rotation mechanism, but it is desirable to provide the installation space around the headrest from the viewpoint of the operability. A conveyance seat is demanded with a decreased size as a whole while ensuring the installation space for the headrest rotation mechanism.
Therefore, conveyance seat is described herein in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object of various embodiments of the present invention to provide a conveyance seat with excellent operability in a manner such that an engagement between an engagement portion and a support portion is appropriately canceled and the engagement portion and the support portion may appropriately be engaged with each other again.
Further, it is another object to attach a drive mechanism to an appropriate attachment position inside the conveyance seat to stabilize the operations of the respective components of the drive mechanism.
Furthermore, it is still another object to decrease the size of the conveyance seat with a headrest rotation mechanism rotatably supporting a pillar.
According to a conveyance seat according to various embodiments of the present invention, the above-described problem is solved by a conveyance seat including: a seat base on which an occupant sits; a support portion which supports the occupant from the back side; a flip-up mechanism which flips up the seat base; a biasing member which biases the support portion forward so that the support portion is inclined forward; an engagement portion which is engaged with the support portion to hold the support portion in a upright state against the biasing force of the biasing member; a cancel mechanism which cancels the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion by using the flip-up operation using the flip-up mechanism; and a return mechanism which performs a return operation of returning the support portion from a state where the engagement with the engagement portion is canceled by the cancel mechanism to a state where the support portion is engageable with the engagement portion, in which the return mechanism performs the return operation in accordance with the inclination angle of the support portion inclined forward by the biasing force of the biasing member after the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled.
According to such a configuration, at the time point when the inclination angle of the support portion inclined forward reaches, for example, a predetermined angle after the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled, the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again. As a result, even when the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled by mistake so that the support portion is inclined forward, the current state may be returned to the state where the engagement portion and the support portion are engaged with each other again, and hence the conveyance seat with excellent operability is provided.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion may be canceled after the flip-up operation starts, and the return mechanism may perform the return operation at a time when the inclination angle reaches a predetermined set angle after the support portion starts to be inclined forward by the biasing force of the biasing member by canceling the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion.
According to such a configuration, since there is a time difference between the time point of canceling the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion and the time point of performing the return operation, the return operation is performed, for example, immediately after the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a problem in which the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is not appropriately canceled.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the cancel mechanism may include a first rotation member that rotates by using the flip-up operation, a second rotation member that rotates to cancel the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion, and an engagement pin which is engaged with the second rotation member. When the second rotation member rotates from one end position toward the other end position of the rotation range thereof, the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion may be canceled, and when the second rotation member returns to the one end position of the rotation range, the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again. Further, the return mechanism may include a biasing spring which biases the second rotation member so that the second rotation member is directed toward the one end position of the rotation range, and when the first rotation member rotates while the second rotation member is engaged with the engagement pin, the engagement pin may rotate the second rotation member from the one end position toward the other end position of the rotation range against the biasing force of the biasing spring by using the rotation of the first rotation member. Furthermore, the return mechanism may perform a return operation of returning the position of the second rotation member to the one end position of the rotation range by the biasing force of the biasing spring by canceling the engagement state between the second rotation member and the engagement pin at a time when the inclination angle of the support portion reaches the set angle.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately select the state where the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled or the state where the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again by controlling the position of the rotation body. Further, since the position of the second rotation member may be controlled by adjusting the mechanical configuration as the engagement state between the second rotation member and the engagement pin, it is possible to select the state where the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled or the state where the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again by a comparatively simple configuration.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the second rotation member may be provided with a guide hole through which the engagement pin passes, a portion located at the peripheral edge of the guide hole in the second rotation member may be provided with a convex portion which protrudes toward the inside of the guide hole, and the engagement pin may be engaged with the convex portion to be engaged with the second rotation member and move inside the guide hole to climb over the convex portion so that the engagement state with the second rotation member is canceled. Further, the return mechanism may include a pulling member that pulls the engagement pin so that the engagement pin climbs over the convex portion by the forward inclining operation of the support portion, and the pulling member may pull the engagement pin so that the engagement pin climbs over the convex portion at a time when the inclination angle of the support portion reaches the set angle.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to switch the engagement state between the second rotation member and the engagement pin by a comparatively simple configuration. Further, it is possible to adjust the time point when the engagement pin climbs over the convex portion (that is, the time point when the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again) by adjusting the shape of the convex portion.
Further, the above-described conveyance seat may further include a cushioning rubber member that collides with the second rotation member when the position of the second rotation member returns to the one end position of the rotation range by the biasing force of the biasing spring.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to reduce an impact involved with the second rotation member when the second rotation member returns to one end position of the rotation range.
Further, the above-described conveyance seat may further include a rotation shaft which supports the first rotation member and the second rotation member in a rotatable manner; and a casing to which the rotation shaft is attached and which covers the first rotation member and the second rotation member, in which the casing may include a slit formed in the rotation direction of the first rotation member, and the first rotation member may include a protrusion which moves inside the slit in the rotation direction when the first rotation member rotates.
According to such a configuration, since the protrusion of the first rotation member moves along the slit formed in the casing when the first rotation member rotates, the first rotation member may appropriately rotate within the set rotation range.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the seat base may be a seat cushion which flips up toward a stowed position, the support portion may be a seatback which includes therein a seat back frame and is inclinable forward, and the flip-up mechanism may be a first operation mechanism which performs a first operation of flipping up the seat cushion. The conveyance seat may further include: a second operation mechanism which includes the biasing member and performs a second operation of inclining the seatback forward by the biasing force of the biasing member; and a drive mechanism which causes the second operation mechanism to perform the second operation by using the first operation of the first operation mechanism. Further, the seat back frame may include a plate-shaped pan frame and a reinforcing plate attached to a front surface of the pan frame in an overlapping state, and the drive mechanism may be attached to a portion in which the pan frame overlaps the reinforcing plate in the front surface of the pan frame.
According to such a configuration, the operations of the respective components of the drive mechanism are stabilized by attaching the drive mechanism to the highly rigid portion in the pan frame.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the seat back frame may include the pan frame, the reinforcing plate, and a pipe frame attached along the outer edge of the pan frame, the reinforcing plate may be long in the width direction of the seat back frame, and one longitudinal end of the reinforcing plate may be overlapped to the pipe frame to be fixed to the pipe frame.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to improve the reinforcement effect using the reinforcing plate and hence to further improve the rigidity of the attachment position of the drive mechanism.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the drive mechanism may be attached to a center portion of the front surface of the pan frame in the height direction of the seat back frame intersecting with the width direction.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to further stabilize the operations of the respective components of the drive mechanism.
Further, the above-described conveyance seat may further include a linear member that is connected to the drive mechanism and moves when the seatback is inclined forward, in which the linear member may be wired to one end of the pan frame in the width direction, in which a space, which accommodates a part of the linear member when the linear member moves, may be provided between the one end of the pan frame and the pipe frame located at the front side of the one end of the pan frame, in which in the one end of the pan frame provided with the space, a portion located at the outer edge of the pan frame may be provided with a wall which regulates the linear member accommodated in the space from protruding toward the outside of the pan frame, and in which the one end of the pan frame provided with the space may be close to the attachment position of the drive mechanism compared to the other end of the pan frame.
According to such a configuration, the flapping of the linear member caused by the forward inclining operation of the seatback may be moderated inside the space. Further, it is possible to appropriately wire the linear member by regulating the linear member received inside the space from protruding toward the outside of the pan frame. Further, since the linear member is wired to one end of the pan frame close to the attachment position of the drive mechanism, the one end side is provided with a space for receiving the linear member, and hence the effect by the space may be effectively exhibited.
Further, the above-described conveyance seat may further include: a headrest which is provided above the seat back frame and is inclinable forward; and a third operation mechanism which performs a third operation of inclining the headrest forward, in which the drive mechanism may operate to cause the second operation mechanism to perform the second operation by using the first operation and to cause the third operation mechanism to perform the third operation, in which the third operation mechanism may be attached to the pan frame while being located above the drive mechanism in the height direction of the seat back frame intersecting with the width direction, and in which an upper end of the reinforcing plate may be located above an upper end of the drive mechanism in the height direction and an upper end of the third operation mechanism may be located above the upper end of the reinforcing plate.
According to such a configuration, since the drive mechanism and the third operation mechanism are attached to the pan frame while being disposed in parallel in the height direction of the seat back frame, the rigidity of the pan frame is further improved. Further, since the reinforcing plate is laid between the drive mechanism and the third operation mechanism in the height direction of the seat back frame, the rigidity of the pan frame is further improved.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the third operation mechanism may be a headrest rotation mechanism which supports a pillar supporting the headrest in a rotatable manner. The headrest rotation mechanism may perform a third operation of rotating the pillar so that the headrest at a use position is located at an inclining position where the headrest is inclined forward. Further, an upper portion of the seat back frame may be provided with a regulation portion which regulates a rearward rotation of the pillar when the headrest is located at the use position, and the headrest rotation mechanism may be fixed to the regulation portion.
According to such a configuration, since the headrest rotation mechanism is fixed by effectively using the space provided with the regulation portion, the size of the conveyance seat may be decreased.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the headrest rotation mechanism may include an elongated plate-shaped headrest rotation mechanism side casing in the width direction of the seat back frame, and the headrest rotation mechanism side casing may be attached to the front surface by a stud bolt protruding from a front surface of the regulation portion so that the headrest rotation mechanism side casing is fixed to the regulation portion.
According to such a configuration, since the headrest rotation mechanism may be attached from the front side of the seat back frame, the headrest rotation mechanism may be easily attached, and hence the assembling workability is improved.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the regulation portion may be located inside in the width direction compared to both ends of the headrest rotation mechanism side casing.
According to such a configuration, since the region provided to dispose the pillar therein in the width direction of the seat back frame is effectively used to set the stud bolt, there is no need to separately ensure a space for setting the stud bolt, and hence the size of the conveyance seat may be further decreased.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the pillar may include a vertical portion which extends in the up and down direction of the seat back frame and a horizontal portion which is adjacent to a lower end of the vertical portion and extends in the width direction. Further, a center portion of the front surface may be located and the stud bolt is disposed at the position of the vertical portion in the width direction. Furthermore, a lower end of the front surface may be located and the stud bolt may be disposed below the horizontal portion in the up and down direction.
According to such a configuration, since an empty space is formed below the joint position between the vertical portion and the horizontal portion and the empty space is used to install the stud bolt, there is no need to separately ensure the space for setting the stud bolt, and hence the size of the conveyance seat may be further decreased.
Further, in the above-described conveyance seat, the drive mechanism may be attached to the front surface of the pan frame by the stud bolt protruding from the front surface of the pan frame.
According to such a configuration, since the drive mechanism may be attached from the front side of the pan frame, the drive mechanism may be easily attached.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, even when the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled by mistake so that the support portion is inclined forward, the current state may be returned to the state where the engagement portion and the support portion are engaged with each other again, and hence the conveyance seat with excellent operability is provided.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, since the return operation is performed immediately after the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled, it is possible to prevent a problem in which the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is not appropriately canceled.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, it is possible to appropriately select the state where the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled or the state where the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again by the rotation operation of the rotation body. Further, since the rotation operation of the second rotation member may be controlled by a comparatively simple configuration, it is possible to select the state where the engagement between the engagement portion and the support portion is canceled or the state where the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, it is possible to switch the engagement state between the second rotation member and the engagement pin by a comparatively simple configuration. Further, it is possible to adjust the time point when the engagement pin climbs over the convex portion (that is, the time point when the engagement portion and the support portion may be engaged with each other again) by adjusting the shape of the convex portion.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, it is possible to reduce an impact involved with the second rotation member when the second rotation member returns to one end position of the rotation range.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, the first rotation member may appropriately rotate within the set rotation range.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, the operations of the respective components of the drive mechanism are stabilized by attaching the drive mechanism to the highly rigid portion in the pan frame.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, it is possible to improve the reinforcement effect using the reinforcing plate and hence to further improve the rigidity of the attachment position of the drive mechanism.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, it is possible to further stabilize the operations of the respective components of the drive mechanism.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, the flapping of the linear member caused by the forward inclining operation of the seatback may be moderated inside the space. Further, it is possible to appropriately wire the linear member by regulating the linear member received inside the space from protruding toward the outside of the pan frame. Further, since the linear member is wired to one end of the pan frame close to the attachment position of the drive mechanism, the one end side is provided with a space for receiving the linear member, and hence the effect by the space may be effectively exhibited.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, since the drive mechanism and the third operation mechanism are attached to the pan frame while being disposed in parallel in the height direction of the seat back frame, the rigidity of the pan frame is further improved. Further, since the reinforcing plate is laid between the drive mechanism and the third operation mechanism in the height direction of the seat back frame, the rigidity of the pan frame is further improved.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, since the headrest rotation mechanism is fixed by effectively using the space provided with the regulation portion, the size of the conveyance seat may be decreased.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, since the headrest rotation mechanism may be attached from the front side of the seat back frame, the headrest rotation mechanism may be easily attached, and hence the assembling workability is improved.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, since the region provided to dispose the pillar therein in the width direction of the seat back frame is effectively used to set the stud bolt, there is no need to separately ensure a space for setting the stud bolt, and hence the size of the conveyance seat may be further decreased.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, since an empty space is formed below the joint position between the vertical portion and the horizontal portion and the empty space is used to install the stud bolt, there is no need to separately ensure the space for setting the stud bolt, and hence the size of the conveyance seat may be further decreased.
According to an embodiment of the conveyance seat, since the drive mechanism may be attached from the front side of the pan frame, attachment of the drive mechanism is facilitated.